As the calendar flipped to 2023, Nationwide Marketing Group formally launched a partnership with Middleby Residential. Home to some of the leading names in the luxury appliance and outdoor categories, Middleby Residential keeps a finger on the pulse of the luxury retail experience.

Ahead of their appearance in a new Metaverse pavilion at the NRF Big Show, ReadySet dives deep into the world of virtual reality commerce. ReadySet CEO Steve McLean shares an overview of the Metaverse concept and helps independent retailers explore the ins and outs of the next-gen version of e-commerce.

The year 2022 was a busy one for the Independent Thinking Podcast. Over the past 48 weeks (or episodes), we’ve gathered 1,516 minutes worth of conversations with our Members, Vendor Partners, industry professionals, trade media friends and our own Nationwide Marketing Group family. On this final episode of the year, we try to whittle those conversations down to one brief recap.

As he prepares to retire at the end of 2022, Nationwide Marketing Group SVP of Business Services Rick Weinberg recaps a 30-plus-year career with the organization — and an even longer stint serving the independent retail community.

Jim Estill, owner and CEO of small appliance maker Danby, highlights some of the trends the company is tracking as the calendar gets ready to flip into a new year.

The commitment to creating products that promote convenience and a healthier lifestyle for the consumer (and world) at Beko is one of the things that sets the brand apart.

As a brand in its infancy, Austere should’ve stood no chance against a raging pandemic. But Ghazarian and her team created such a compelling brand story — not to mention some seriously awesome product — that the business not only survived, but is thriving.

Fresh off of Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, we’re extending the conversation with Telesystem. Ira Feuerstein, manager of cybersecurity business development for the brand, shares a number of tips, tricks and fair warnings for retailers around protecting their data and educating their employees on this always-important matter. 

Fresh off of his first trip to Berlin for IFA 2022, Dealerscope Senior Managing Editor Sam Hitt hops onto the podcast to talk about the latest gadgets, holiday retail trends and more. We dive into everything from gaming tech, e-mobility trends, the Metaverse — and the list goes on.

For the second year in a row, Martinsburg, WV-based retailer Orsini’s has been recognized in the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list. We sat down with Owner PJ Orsini to talk about the honor, how the business has continued to thrive during uncertain times and more.  

Custom integration industry veteran Andy Orozco hit the ground running — literally — as Nationwide Marketing Group’s new Senior Vice President of CI. His second day on the job brought him to Dallas for CEDIA Expo. A few weeks in now, Orozco sits down to talk about what excites him in working with NMG’s CI dealers, the opportunities that lie ahead in this industry and more.

Barely nine months on the job, CEDIA Global President & CEO Daryl Friedman has been a busy man, getting full ingrained with the world of custom integration. We sat down with Friedman during the recent CEDIA Expo in Dallas to talk about the challenges the industry faces, the importance of education and more.

As one of the younger brands in the luxury appliance space, Signature Kitchen Suite is in prime position to disrupt the market. Director of Sales Mike O’Keefe chats about the ways the brand is innovating the luxury game and what excites him about working with Nationwide dealers.

After spending a few days with us in Orlando for his first-ever PrimeTime show, Furniture Today Editor-in-Chief Bill McLoughlin recaps his time at that show. We also dive into FT’s upcoming Leadership Conference, furniture retailing trends and more.

Just over a week out, the excitement is palpable as the custom integration channel preps for CEDIA Expo. Ahead of the show, we sat down with Jason Turner, Vice President and co-founder of PowerShades, to talk about the show and the brand’s involvement in Nationwide’s Tiny Home, which will be on hand in Dallas.

In its 77-year history, The Appliance Center has weathered all sorts of storms. Most recently, the Panama City, FL, business had its main showroom rocked by Hurricane Michael in 2018. Though they’re still working out of a makeshift warehouse-turned-storefront, President Bob Hurst shares how they’ve remained successful.

During PrimeTime in Orlando, the discussion centered around getting “back to basics” in the fight for foot traffic. Patrick Maloney, NMG’s EVP of Membership, jumped on the Independent Thinking Podcast to expand on that message — and share some highlights from the show.

For independent business owners — who, admittedly wear many different hats — marketing often takes a backseat to many other tasks. That makes the work of Nationwide’s Shopper Marketing team all the more important. We recently sat down with Joe Walz, director of shopper marketing, to talk about the magic they perform on behalf of our independent retailers.

While we were together in Orlando for Nationwide’s PrimeTime show, we took the opportunity to chat with a local Member in the rent-to-own space, Buddy’s Home Furnishings. Mitchell Lee, director of franchise development for Buddy’s, spoke on the business, the team’s growth strategy and more.

What does the new business development process look like for Nationwide Marketing Group? To find the answer we turn to Nationwide’s Vice President of Business Development Derek Mattila — the guy behind countless new partnerships the group has formed over the past few years, and the launch of the home improvement category.